# आलु
## Hindi
### Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit आलु (ālu).

### Pronunciation

* (Delhi) IPA: /ɑː.luː/, [äː.luː]

### Noun

आलु • (ālu) m (Urdu spelling آلو)
* Alternative spelling of आलू (ālū)

#### Declension
## Nepali
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [älu]
* Phonetic Devanagari: आलु

### Noun

आलु • (ālu)
* potato
* zero, jack

## Newar
### Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [alu]

### Noun

आलु • (ālu) ? (Newa Spelling 𑐁𑐮𑐸)
* plastic

## Sanskrit
### Alternative scripts

* আলু (Assamese script)
* ᬆᬮᬸ (Balinese script)
* আলু (Bengali script)
* 𑰁𑰩𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
* 𑀆𑀮𑀼 (Brahmi script)
* အာလု (Burmese script)
* આલુ (Gujarati script)
* ਆਲੁ (Gurmukhi script)
* 𑌆𑌲𑍁 (Grantha script)
* ꦄꦴꦭꦸ (Javanese script)
* 𑂄𑂪𑂳 (Kaithi script)
* ಆಲು (Kannada script)
* អាលុ (Khmer script)
* ອາລຸ (Lao script)
* ആലു (Malayalam script)
* ᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠯᡠ (Manchu script)
* 𑘁𑘩𑘳 (Modi script)
* ᠠᢗᠯᠤ (Mongolian script)
* 𑦡𑧉𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
* 𑐁𑐮𑐸 (Newa script)
* ଆଲୁ (Odia script)
* ꢃꢭꢸ (Saurashtra script)
* 𑆄𑆬𑆶 (Sharada script)
* 𑖁𑖩𑖲 (Siddham script)
* ආලු (Sinhalese script)
* 𑩐𑩛𑩽𑩒 (Soyombo script)
* 𑚁𑚥𑚰 (Takri script)
* ஆலு (Tamil script)
* ఆలు (Telugu script)
* อาลุ (Thai script)
* ཨཱ་ལུ (Tibetan script)
* 𑒂𑒪𑒳 (Tirhuta script)
* 𑨀𑨊𑨬𑨃 (Zanabazar Square script)

### Pronunciation

* (Vedic) IPA: /ɑː.lu/
* (Classical Sanskrit) IPA: /ˈɑː.l̪u/

### Etymology 1

Of unclear origin. Has been compared to Latin alvus (“belly, bowels”) and Lithuanian eldijà (“canoe”).

#### Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, f
* a pitcher, a small water jar

##### Declension
### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Dravidian; compare Tamil ஆர் (ār, “common mountain ebony”) and ஆரம் (āram, “sandalwood”).

#### Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, m
* ebony, black ebony

##### Declension
### Etymology 3

Of uncertain origin. Has been suggested to derive from Proto-Indo-Aryan *HaHlu, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HaHlu, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHlu (“edible root”), and thus be cognate with Latin ālium (“onion, garlic”). However, Mayrhofer considers this derivation unconvincing, perhaps due to the general principle of specific plant names usually being borrowed from local substrates rather than being inherited in Indo-European languages.

#### Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, n
* an esculent root, elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, syn. Arum campanulatum)
* (neologism) potato

##### Derived terms

* आलुक (āluka)

### Etymology 4

* This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Not attested in etymological dictionaries. Could be related to Etymologies 1 or 2, though it has the same gender as Etymology 3.”

#### Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, n
* a raft, float

##### Declension
### Etymology 5

* This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Not attested in etymological dictionaries. Perhaps related to उलूक (ulūka, “owl”); see there for more.”

#### Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, m
* an owl

##### Declension
### References

* Monier Williams (1899) “आलु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 154/1.
* Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 25
* Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎ (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 80-1